Aesthetic

CW: 36:40-37:10 Single reference to rape and sexual coercion in the context of the Vampire trope.

Philippa Mort joins me to talk about the varied and wonderful topic of aesthetic. The discussion starts around the different approaches to TTRPG and campaign design; a different perspective to the typical top down/bottom up paradigm. How does one approach "visual design", and how does it differ from "mechanical design"? Philippa shares her experience in designing from visual prompts, and we talk through the various pros and cons when compared to my own meticulous, detail-centric process. A solid campaign aesthetic not only aids world building and provides a strong identify, but it can also help guide players through character creation.

01:10 - Aesthetic Design Process
08:16 - Mechanical Design Process
13:15 - How to Design for a Specific Aesthetic
21:13 - How Clear Theming Supports Character Creation
25:36 - Two Sessions Zeroes
33:12 - Safely Leveraging Tropes
40:16 - Catharsis, not Therapy
49:19 - Flavouring your Table

Find Philippa (@MortPhilippa) on:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/PhilippaMort
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MortPhilippa
DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Philippa%20Mort&page=1&sort=4a?affiliate_id=2197041
DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/18041/Philippa-Mort?affiliate_id=2197041
itch.io: https://philippa-mort.itch.io

Find me on:

Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD

References:

'Romance' episode of Thinking Critically
The Crystal Maze
Uncaged Anthology

Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod

Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod